Focus: refurbishment & interiors

Licensees across much of the UK will be seriously considering spending money on their pub this year - if they haven't done so already.

The reason is, of course, the smoking ban, which is prompting operators not only to develop outdoor areas for smokers but also to take the opportunity to smarten up their interiors.

One advantage of the ban is that refurbishing a smoke-free pub will mean that your investment will have a longer life as furnishings will not be ruined by smoke after a couple of years.

That is one reason to make a better job of it this time around. Another is your need to make a good early impression on people who will be visiting and appraising pubs again once the ban is in place.

The third reason for making sure that whatever you do is of a high standard is that not doing so could cost you more in the long run.

In Scotland, a year into the smoke ban there, many licensees who plumped for a cheap and cheerful solution for their outdoor smoking area are already having to invest again.

"Scotland has seen a lot of money wasted," Scottish & Newcastle Pub Enterprises commercial manager Martyn Gray told one of the BII's smoking roadshows last week.

"Pubs bought faulty and low-grade equipment that only lasted six months. That proves it's worth investing in quality."

The AIR campaign's Michelle Baker, speaking at the same event, agreed. "A cheapish solution will last about six months," she said. "We have had one example where a licensee spent £5,000 on an outdoor area and one windy weekend the canopy blew away. You should think of your outdoors as an extension of your premises - not a smokers' ghetto.

"Don't scrimp on the heating, either. You have to think of older people and take the chill off."

And the same quality message can be applied to interior refurbs, she believes.

"Buy beautiful furniture! You can really invest in quality now - it won't be damaged by cigarette burns and smoke. And don't carry on with nicotine-stained walls - paint them! Think about it, and finish the job properly," she advises.